Air cleaner and intake silencer unit



Oct. 12, 1954 Filed July 19, 1952 J. B. SEBOK ET AL AIR CLEANER ANDINTAKE SILENCER UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet l l l W I 1 .ITZ VE 'ITIZLE T5 c/bseofz B. Sebok T1" 121 56(901: w I/% Z i155 Qcfi. 12, 1954 J. 550 ET ALZfiQiAZG AIR CLEANER AND INTAKE SILENCER UNIT Filed July 19, 1952 5Sheets-Sheet 2 F .4 q. 5 Zou Evy-E. 11' TE :75

Jase 9h B. Sebolc Fr'le Sebolt Oct. 12, 1954 J 5, 555cm ETAL 2,691,426

AIR CLEANER AND INTAKE SILENCER UNIT Filed July 19, 1952 3 Sheets-SheetI5 IZVJ/ETIZZ: T5

Ubsep/z B. Saba/z Patented Oct. 12, 1954 AIR CLEANER AND INTAKE SILENCERUNIT Joseph B. Sebok and Frank Sebok, Detroit, Mich, assignors toHoudailie-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of MichiganApplication July 19, 1952, Serial No. 299,814.

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in an air cleaner and intakesilencer unit of the character highly desirable for use in connectionwith a carburetor air intake horn, the carburetor being associated withan automotive internal combustion engine, although the unit will haveother uses and purposes and may be associated with other apparatus, aswill be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In connection with automotive air cleaner and intake silencer units,difliculty has been experienced in properly silencing the fundamentaltone of an engine, commonly referred to as power roar, especially sincethe hoods of automobiles have been lowered, with the necessary increasein diameter of the cleaner and silencer unit to provide adequate volumein the silencer chamber. This particular problem was aggravated when itbecame necessary to make a cleaner greater than 8 inches in diameter.Usually the bottom of the casing partially enclosed the largerattenuating chamber for the fundamental tone of the engine. This bottomportion of the unit therefore became, in effect, a drum head forunexpected engine noises such as valve knock, piston slap, or noisesmade by the valve guides or other associated parts, which unexpectednoises were frequently in the neighborhood of 900 cycles per second,while the fundamental engine tone was in the neighborhood of 120 cyclesper second. Consequently, with the cleaner and silencer unit on thecarburetor intake horn, many times there was more noise than if thecleaner and silencer unit had been left off. The problem was furtheraggravated when it became necessary to have not only an attenuatingchamber for the fundamental tone, but also another attenuating chamberfor another engine tone, such as a supplementary tone or a harmonic. Inthat event there were two parts of the casing acting in the manner ofdrum heads. This was particularly the case in the larger sized cleanerand silencer units, and at the present time certain automobiles areutilizing cleaner and silencer units as high as 18 inches in diameter.

It was discovered that the adverse efiect of the unexpected enginenoises on these larger type units could be eliminated by preventingmetal-tometal contact continuation between the portion of a unitdefining a part of an attenuating chamber and the carburetor air intakehorn. However, in no instance of which we are aware, has anyone beensuccessful in eliminating such metal-tometal contact between twodifferent bottom portions. or partitions and the carburetor intake hornwithout permitting the partitions or walls to vibrate and thus cause anobjectionable frequency of their own.

It has been ascertained, that with the high compression engines nowbeing almost universally adopted in the automotive field, vibration ofthe bottom of a cleaner and silencer unit and a parti tion defining anattenuating chamber of less volume for sounds of higher frequency wouldresult, and that vibration causes these component parts to set up anobjectionable frequency of their own, interfering with the desideratumof silencing. These component parts must be connected together ordampened in some manner to offset the undesirable effects of vibration.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instantinvention to provide an air cleaner and silencer unit in which wallportions at least partially defining separate sound attenuating chambersare all maintained out of metalto-metal continuity with the carburetorintake horn with which the air cleaner may be associated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an air cleaner andsilencer unit in which partitions or walls at least partially definingattenuating chambers are not only maintained out of metal-to-metalcontinuity with a carburetor air intake horn, but are also dampened toeliminate vibration.

Also a feature of the invention is to provide a silencer unit having aplurality of sound attenuating chambers, with the wall portions ofadjacent chambers in effect tied together by shock absorbing means.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in the provision of anair cleaner and intake silencer unit in which the filter holding shellis maintained out of direct contact with the means therebelow defining achamber or sump for cleansing liquid, and the partitions or wallsdefining the attenuating chambers are maintained out of metal-to-metalcontinuity with the intake horn of the device receiving clean air.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide an air cleaner andintake silencer unit comprising separable casing sections, as well asseparate sound attenuating chambers, with the component parts of thosesections and the walls of such chambers being dampened against vibrationand metal-to-metal contact or continuity being eliminated between thesilencer chamber walls and an air intake horn to which the unit isconnected.

It is a further object of this invention to provide. a new and noveldampening element for use 3 in connection with air cleaner and intakesilencer units.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantagesof the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparent from the following disclosures taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a part central verticalsectional, and part side elevational view of an air cleaner and intakesilencing unit embodying principles of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional showingthrough the dampening element and associated parts, this being anenlargement of the lower right central portion of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional viewillustrating resilient means for seating the filter holding shell, thisfigure being an enlargement of the right central portion of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view, with parts omitted, illustratingthe dampening element;

Figure 5 is a view similar in character to Fig. 2, but illustratingdiagrammatically the manner of mounting the dampening element inoperative position;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a dampening element in the formof a ring;

Figure '7 is a plan view of a dampening element in the form of a strip;and

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the structure of Fig. 7.

As shown on the drawings:

In the illustrated embodiment of the instant invention there is shown anair cleaning and intake silencing unit comprising a pair of separablecasing sections, the upper being indicated generally by numeral 8, andthe lower generally by numeral 2.

The upper section l embodies a cover 3, a filter holding shell 5 securedto the cover, a generally cylindrical element 5 inside the shell 4forming an outlet conduit from a filter element 6 contained between theshell 4 and the conduit 5. This filter mass may be of any suitablematerial, such as curled cattle tail hair, vegetable fiber, crimpedmetallic wire or ribbon, etc. The shell 3 extends across the bottombeneath the mass and is provided with large apertures I therein throughwhich air may travel. Above the filter mass is a spider 8, secured tothe cover, having one or more depending lugs 9 bearing on the upper endof the conduit 5, and holding in place against the cover a hisssilencing pad IE1. Depending from the bottom of the filter holdingshell, and held thereto by the inwardly turned lower end of the conduit5, is an annularly peaked baiiie H.

The lower casing section includes an outer wall l2 merging with a bottomlit, with the upper portion of the outer wall curving inwardly. Anotherpartition It is shaped to define a liquid sump I5 into which theaforesaid baffle ll extends. This partition 14 has a cylindricalupwardly extending outer portion l6 concentric with the filter holdingshell 4, but spaced therefrom to define therebetween a downwardlyleading inlet passage i'a' .LOI' dirty air. The inner end of thepartition it, is connected, as by spot welding, to the upper marginalportion of a clean air outlet conduit l8. Adjacent its connecion withthis conduit, the partition i4 is shaped so as to provide a seat for aresilient gasket 19 upon which the inner portion of the bafile H as wellas the outwardly turned margin of the conduit 5 may rest, as best seenin Fig. 3. With reference to this figure it will be noted that there isactually a distinct space between the lower end of the conduit 5 and theupwardly turned inner margin of the partition [4, as indicated at 20.Thus, the filter holding shell and conduit 5 are maintained out ofmetal-to-metal contact with the clean air outlet 18 and the partitionl4, and the upper casing section is effectively dampened againstvibration.

Another partition 2| is connected at one end to a part of the partition14, and at its inner end to the aforesaid clean air outlet [8. Thispartition together with the partition l4 defines a sound attenuatingchamber 22 operating upon the resonator principle, and access to thisattenuating chamber is through a series of openings 23 in the side ofthe outlet conduit l8. This attenuating chamber 22 is of relativelysmall volume, and is designed to attenuate a sound of relatively highfrequency.

The partition 2i, and the upper portion 16 of the partition I l togetherwith the casing wall 12 and bottom [3 define a relatively largeattenuating chamber 24 which is sized to neutralize the fundamental toneof the engine, a sound of lower frequency, and of course the attenuatingchamber 4 is of relatively great volume. Entrance for sound to theattenuating chamber 4 is by way of a passage 25 between the outletconduit I8 and a tube 26 to the outside of which is connected adepending ring 2! for attachment to an air intake horn such as that on acarburetor for an internal combustion engine. It will be noted that thering 21' is stepped as at 23 to provide an annular shoulder upon which adampening element 29 may seat.

With reference more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that thedampening element 29 is provided with a groove 30 into which an inwardradially extending flange 31 on the upper end of the bottom 13 isseated. The dampening element has an annular bead at its lower outercorner as indicated at 32, which is definitely disposed between thebottom l3 and the ring 23' so that these parts can never be inmetal-tometal contact with each other. The dampening element 29 ispreferably made of resilient material, such as synthetic rubber, and isin the form of a band circumscribing the upper portion of the ring 21.At periodic intervals around this band projections 33 are provided,there being three such in the illustrated instance. These projectionsextend outwardly, and downwardly over the upper portion of the bottom 53as clearly seen in Fig. 2. The outward and upward extension of theprojections affords a seat for the partition 2! outside its connectionwith the clean air outlet conduit 18, thereby eliminating any chance ofvibration of the partition 2i and the development of an objectionablefrequency by that partition. It will be noted that the same dampeningelement not only supports the bottom out of metal-to-metal continuitywith the air intake horn, but also dampens any vibrations in either thebottom l3 or the partition 21 insuring proper and adequate silencing.

In Fig. 5 we have illustrated the mounting of the dampening element 29,this element is first disposed around the upper portion of the ring 21on the seat 28, and the bottom l3 may have its flange 3| entered intothe groove in the dampening element. At this stage of the structure, theupper portion 26a of the tube 26 is vertical as seen in this figure, andthen the parts may be rigidly held and the upper end 26a of the tube isrolled outwardly over the upper margin of the dampening element to thedotted line position seen in Fig. 5, whereupon the dampening element isfirmly secured in position and the bottom It is firmly mounted.

Between the lower portion of the ring 21 and the part of the tube 26extending below the seat 28, another gasket 34 may be positioned to restupon the upper end of the air intake horn with which the cleaner isassociated.

Now with reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that thedampening element or band 2Q may be initially in the form of a ring 35,or in the form of a strip 36 as seen in Figs. 7 and 8. The ring mayeasily be slipped over the top of the ring 27, and the band may beeasily wound around that ring 21, so the resultant eflfect is the same,whether the ring or the strip is utilized. It will be noted that in bothcases, before the band is applied around the upper portion of the ring21, the groove 30 is more expanded, and when the upper portion of thetube 26a is rolled outwardly over the top of the band 29, the groove iscompressed into closed position as seen in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that with the structure embodied inthe instant air cleaner and intake silencing unit, the filter holdingshell is maintained out of metal-to-metal contact with the partition [4by the gasket l9, and the dampening element 29 effectively eliminatesmetal-tometal contact between the bottom I3 of the unit and the airintake horn with Which the unit is connected, and this same element alsobears forceably against the partition 2! so as to eliminate anyvibration being set up therein. Accordingly, not only is the bottom ofthe cleaner prevented from amplifying any unexpected noises inside theengine, but the entire structure is also prevented from setting up anobjectionable frequency of vibration in its internal structure so as toadversely effect the silencing of the engine tones for which thechambers 22 and 24 are sized. The entire structure is simple, economicalto construct and use, and efiectively performs the desired results.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an intake silencer unit, a casing, partition means in said casingdefining sound attenuating chambers of the resonator type one of whichis partially enclosed by the bottom of the casing, a tube for connectionwith an air intake horn extending through the bottom of said casing, aresilient band around the inner portion of said tube, the bottom of saidcasing being connected only to said band around said tube, andprojections on said band which the partition for another attenuatingchamber contacts in spaced relationship to said tube.

2. In an intake silencer unit, a casing, partition means in said casingdefining sound attenuating chambers of the resonator type one of whichis partially enclosed by the bottom of the casing, a tube for connectionwith an air intake horn extending through the bottom of said casing, aresilient band around the inner portion of said tube, the bottom of saidcasing being connected only to said band around said tube, projectionson said band which the partition for another attenuating chambercontacts in spaced relationship to said tube, said tube having a lateralshoulder for said band to seat upon, and the inner end of said tubebeing rolled over the upper portion of said band inside saidprojections.

3. In an intake silencer unit, a casing, partition means in said casingdefining sound attenuating chambers of the resonator type one of whichis partially enclosed by the bottom of the casing, a tubular assemblyfor connection to an air intake horn, said assembly extending throughthe bottom of said casing, a dampening element around the upper part ofsaid assembly, the bottom of the casing around said assembly beingsecured to said dampening element only, projections on the upper part ofsaid dampening element to firmly contact one of said partition means,said projections having free portions thereon to engage the inner faceof said bottom When pressed thereagainst by said contact.

4. In an air cleaning and intake silencing unit, a casing having aninlet for dirty air, an outlet tube for clean air extending through thebottom of the casing, air cleaning means between the inlet and outlettube, partition means in the casing connected with said outlet tube,tubular means of greater size than said outlet tube disposed around saidtube in completely spaced relation-- ship thereto for connection with anair intake horn, dampening means around the inner part of said tubularmeans, the bottom of the casing around said tubular means contactingonly said dampening means, and said dampening means also contacting thenext partition means thereabove while maintaining said tubular meansseparated from said partition means and said bottom.

5. In an air cleaning and intake silencing unit, a casing having aninlet for dirty air, an outlet tube for clean air extending through thebottom of the casing, air cleaning means between the inlet and outlettube, partition means in the casing connected with said outlet tube,tubular means of greater size than said outlet tube disposed around saidtube in completely spaced relationship thereto for connection with anair intake horn, and a resilent dampening element around the inner partof said tubular means contacting both the bottom of the casing and thenext partition means thereabove and maintaining the bottom separatedfrom said tubular means.

6. In an air cleaning and intake silencing unit, a casing having aninlet for dirty air, an outlet tube for clean air extending through thebottom of the casing, air cleaning means between the inlet and outlettube, partition means in the casing connected with said outlet tube,tubular means of greater size than said outlet tube disposed around saidtube in spaced relationship thereto for connection with an air intakehorn, a resilient dampening element around the inner part of saidtubular means contacting both the bottom of the casing and the nextpartition means thereabove and maintaining the bottom separated fromsaid tubular means, a separable portion of said casing carrying said aircleaning means, and a resilient element on one of said partition meansholding said separable casing portion out of contact with said clean airoutlet tube.

7. In an air cleaning and intake silencing unit, a casing having aninlet for dirty air, an outlet tube for clean air extending through thebottom of the casing, air cleaning means between the inlet and outlettube, partition means in the casing connected with said outlet tube,tubular means of greater size than said outlet tube disposed around saidtube in spaced relationship thereto for connection with an air intakeborn, a resilient dampening band around the inner part of said tubularmeans, spaced projections on said band to firmly contact the nextpartition thereabove, and said projections having depending freelyoverhanging portions behind which the margin of the casing bottom isclamped when said contact is established.

8. In an air cleaning and intake silencing unit, a casing having aninlet for dirt air, an outlet tube for clean air extending through thebottom of the casing, air cleaning means between the inlet and outlettube, partition means in the casing connected with said outlet tube,tubular means of greater size than said outlet tube disposed around saidtube in spaced relationship thereto for connection with an air intakehorn, a resilient dampening band around the inner part of said tubularmeans, spaced projections on said band to firmly contact the nextpartition thereabove, said band having a groove therein into which amarginal portion of the casing bottom extends, and said projectionshaving freely depending portions bearing against the inner face of saidbottom in the region opposite said groove.

9. In an air cleaning and intake silencing unit, a casing section havinga bottom and a pair of spaced generally laterally extending partitionsdefining sound attenuating chambers, a removable casing sectioncontaining air cleaning means and of less diameter than the first saidcasing section to provide an air inlet therebetween, an outlet tube forclean air extending through the bottom of the first-named casing sectionand to which said partitions are connected, tubular means of greatersize than said outlet tube disposed around the tube and completelyspaced therefrom for connection with an air intake horn, a resilientdampening band around said tubular means, the bottom of the first saidcasing section being connected only to said band around the tubularmeans, projections on said band firmly contacting the next abovepartition, and other dampening means disposed between and separatingsaid removable casing section from the other partition.

10. In an air cleaning and intake silencing unit, a casing sectionhaving a bottom and a pair of spaced generally laterally extendingpartitions defining sound attenuating chambers, a removable casingsection containing air cleaning means and of less diameter than thefirst said casing section to provide an air inlet therebetween, anoutlet tube for clean air extending through the bottom of thefirst-named casing section and to which said partitions are connected,tubular means of greater size than said outlet tube disposed around thetube and completely spaced therefrom for connection with an air intakehorn, dampening means around said tubular means and firmly contactingthe next above partition, the bottom of the first said casing sectionbeing connected only to said dampening means around said tubular means,and other dampening means between the removable casing section and theother partition and maintaining the casing sections separated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,847,352 McClatchie Mar. 1, 1932 2,149,836 Brown Mar, 7, 19392,557,237 Sebok June 19, 1951

